


Diamonds & Fault Lines

by mihrsuri



Category: The Tudors
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Child Abuse, Creepy, Domestic Violence, F/M, Gaslighting, Henry Tudor is a douchecanoe, Misogyny, Other, Recovery, Relationship Abuse, Unrefridgerating Awesome Women, Victim Blaming, Women Being Awesome, fuck you shes awesome
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-07
Updated: 2013-08-07
Packaged: 2017-12-22 17:15:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 1
Words: 727
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/915902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mihrsuri/pseuds/mihrsuri
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katherine Howard, living and laughing. The story is set in a Modern Day Tudors AU in which Henry Tudor is a US Senator from PA who eventually attempts to run for President. This is partially the story of how that imploded. This story contains a depiction of an abusive relationship/sexual exploitation/abuse of a minor though it's not explicitly depicted, it is there, as is the depiction of domestic violence and gaslighting. Exercise caution when reading.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Diamonds & Fault Lines

She's fifteen when it started. Fifteen and dazzled by his brilliance and maturity, so unlike the boys at school. Senator Tudor has travelled, has stories about the world and he treats her like she's a goddess. Katy Howard, youngest child of a large family, Katy Howard who has always been forgotten and dismissed as not very bright, is listened to.

It's wonderful. And he's handsome too. She'd thought that from the first when she'd started volunteering for the campaign - she'd always been good at talking to people, at organizing parties and events and she wanted to help - she truly did. She'd listened to his speeches on poverty and social justice and thrilled to it.

And he, Senator Tudor, pays attention to her. Little Katy Howard.

She gets necklaces, earrings and bracelets. A new laptop ("just because, my darling Katy"), trips to see him ("we'll call it scholarship money to go to dance school sweetheart, it'll be our secret"), money for shopping trips where he spends indulgently on anything she wants.

It was the Christmas before her senior year that was the really amazing one. Henry had taken her to his ski lodge - laughingly taught her how to ski on secluded slopes and let her teach him to ice skate after booking the rink just for them. He makes her hot chocolate and they cuddle in bed and Katy thinks she's in heaven.

And then come the gifts. There's a Balenciaga handbag, gift cards for stores that don't have price tags on the clothes, an iPhone, tickets to see the New York City Ballet and above all, an engagement ring inlaid with diamonds and rubies.

Henry tells her they'll marry when she turns eighteen. She cannot remember ever being happier. Except...then it changes. Henry wants to tell her what to do, what to wear, that she shouldn't even think of going to college ("why would you need to sweetheart, I'll take care of everything"), that she doesn't need that part time job or those friends. Or any friends.

He hits her one night, over the fact that she talked to a guy friend of hers and she'd sworn she'd be done with him but Henry, Henry is so charming and so very sorry. He'd just worried, that's all. She almost accepts it, until the night that Mr Cromwell finds them out.

Then it all implodes. Henry yells at Mr Cromwell that she was asking for it, that she's a slut, that she just wanted to sell her story and have a sugar daddy, that she's a liar anyway. And that's when she runs out of the office and sobs.

Mr Cromwell is very kind (he asks if she'd rather talk to a woman but she's okay with him, somehow) and says that none of this is her fault. That it's the Senators fault and not to listen to any of it.

Her parents refuse to speak to her. Actually they throw her out. The eventual settlement of the whole thing ends in Senator Tudors run for President imploding and a (large) cash settlement and trust fund for her by her Uncle Norfolk, who feels that someone in the family has to provide for her (she suspects it's also guilt that he encouraged her to work on the Tudor campaign in the first place but doesn't say anything)

She learns to be herself, her senior year. The gossip is too much for her to go back to school in PA so she decides to go for it, to make a clean break.

Katy Howard moves to New York City, doesn't become a brunette (though she does put pink streaks in her hair), finds a beautiful penthouse apartment (yes it's a luxury but it's hers, not to be taken away) and gets a job in a dance shop, in between finishing high school and discovering the joy of eating cupcakes by herself.

She sells all the things Henry gave her and donates the money to charity and tries to clean her skin of him entirely. She gives her one and only media interview (to Rachel) and discovers to her own surprise that she does have brains. She dances for herself now and when she gets accepted as a ballerina at the New York City Ballet she dances for herself, in her own apartment.

She's not Henry's. She is herself.


End file.
